PRAYER: ANTIDOTE TO
CHALLENGES
Memorise: So built we the
wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the
people had a mind to work. Nehemiah 4:6
Every good builder has a foe, and that is the
discourager. As we have read in the passage for today, Nehemiah determined to
rebuild the destroyed city of Jerusalem;
but then, he was faced with opposition! Sometimes, when you determine to do
something good for God, you are surprised to come across opposition to your
good intentions. Nehemiah could not be deterred, and neither should we be. As a
young minister in the Church, I planned a programme for the purpose of winning
souls to the Kingdom with the approval of my father-in-the-Lord. A senior pastor
heard about it and picked a quarrel with me. I was surprised because my expectation
was commendation and not condemnation. I could not understand how winning souls
could become sacrilegious. I therefore reported the matter to the General
Superintendent, but he asked me to go and beg the senior pastor so that the
programme could hold! I obeyed; through I did not know why I should do that except
for the fact that my father-in-the-Lord asked me to. I thank God I did.
Reading through the book of Nehemiah, you will
discover that Nehemiah’s strength was hidden in his prayer life. He prayed all
through to the God who gave him the vision to build, and he was strengthened
(Nehemiah 4:1-4). Jesus Christ also used the medium of prayer to overcome the
challenges of His assignment of saving the world (Luke 22:41-44). So, when you
are convinced of what the Lord has asked you to do, go ahead and pursue it with
all your strength, but do not leave prayer out of it. For those in opposition
to good things, there are lots of lessons for you in this story as well. Beware
of standing in opposition to what God does or wants to do, or else, you will
live to regret your actions. You should know that what you think should not
happen or will be impossible to achieve will happen, and will succeed as
well. Know also that when the day of
celebration comes, you will not be part of it. The story of the 24-hour miracle
that terminated the famine in Samaria
is one to take note of (2 Kings 7:18-20). The man of God prophesied
super-abundance after a long time of famine in Samaria, but a powerful minister in the
king’s cabinet said it was not possible. He saw it happen but he did not
partake of it according to the word of the man of God. May this not be your
potion in Jesus’ Name. Let us join hands to build our country. Let us cease
from being destructively critical of our political and economic system. Rather,
let us build our nation through prayers and we shall see and eat the good of
the land in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Point
Father, give me the strength
to build your Kingdom on earth, and make me a partaker of the celebrations to
fellow.
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